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Thursday, June 26, 2008 "When news breaks, we fix it" Serving West Virginia since 2005
Russ Weeks: An American Life
HAVING FUN WITH MOJO
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
Dems cost WV thousands with dedication to helping McGraw
Manchin, Dems extend session to pass another bad campaign finance bill; WV for Life opposes effort
West Virginia Democrats in the State Legislature are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars by their insistence on passing another flawed campaign finance bill designed purely to protect Attorney General Darrell McGraw, along with Supreme Court candidates Margaret Workman and Menis Ketchum, in the 2008 election.Republicans in the House and Senate mustered enough unity to deny Democrats the ability to suspend the rules, with only Bill Hamilton and John Ellem breaking ranks on the House side. But Gov. Joe Mancin and the Democrat-controlled Legislature kept lawmakers in session yet another day to make sure the bill became law.Democrats are tackling a bill that in reality remains in active litigation. Their zeal to prevent independent expenditure groups from lawfully waging campaigns against their favored liberal candidates has resulted in a remarkable flurry of pressure to rush into law legislation that few, if any, legislators have had a chance to thoroughly review.West Virginians for Life is now actively opposing the bill drafted by Sen. Jeff Kessler and Del. Carrie Webster, since many of the provisions would directly affect the campaign methods typically employed by the group.Kessler and Webster's bill once again vaguely defines the targets of the bill, and seems to contain provisions that would force issue ads to follow the same requirements as direct support or opposition ads -- provisions which have routinely been shot down by the courts.The governor's decision to include the campaign finance issue on the call for the special session continues to mystify many political observers, since he has long insisted that special sessions should deal only with emergency funding issues.Republicans are generally supportive of overall disclosure requirements, but they also recognize the purely political motives behind the effort to rush through this particular legislation at this time, with McGraw facing a serious challenge from attorney Dan Greear, and Republican court candidate Beth Walker likely to receive assistance from independent groups as well.Don Caruth, an attorney and the Senate GOP leader, told The Associated Press regarding the Republican opposition, "As much as it might be exciting to portray this as a political issue, we think it's a good government issue." Manchin holding press event to tout 'final' phase out of state's tax on food
Gov. Joe Manchin is holding a press event today to tout what he is calling the "final" phase out of the state's food tax, even though the latest cut will not actually eliminate the harmful tax.Manchin has long claimed his goal was to eliminate the tax completely, but in increments, as opposed to the beliefs of Republicans that it should be ended immediately.But now, Manchin is calling the reduction to the three percent level the "final" phase out -- signalling he has no intentions of eliminating the tax.Webster Unplugged
Delegate wishes she could limit more speech, blasts Judge Faber
Delegate Carrie Webster on Wednesday told her colleagues that federal law prohibits limiting the free speech and campaign activity of individuals, but "we probably should."She also blasted Judge David Faber, the judge who found unconstitutional a large part of the campaign finance law passed by the legislature. Faber's ruling has led to the effort now in special session by Webster and Sen. Jeff Kessler to rush through another campaign finance bill.According to onlookers, Webster said Judge Faber didn't know what he was doing, and the Legislature had to do his job for him.Webster's comments left both Democrat and Republican colleagues stunned, according to witnesses. Most considered it unwise to blast a judge when the case you are contesting remains on his docket.Democrats and Republicans separately huddled late into the evening Wednesday plotting strategy for the coming days. The House could possibly proceed with the third reading of the bill on Thursday, while the Senate would take it up for its second reading.By the time the issue comes up for final approval -- if it gets that far -- lawmakers could conceivably be in special session until Saturday.The lengths to which Democrats are going -- with the implicit consent of Gov. Joe Manchin -- to ram through a hastily crafted "fix" to the parts of the law deemed unconstitutional by Judge Faber has gained the wrath of a growing number of constituencies, ranging from West Virginians for Life to the NRA to business and industry leaders. These and other groups and individuals recognize that the trial lawyers who control the Legislature will stop at nothing and spare no taxpayer expense to achieve their ends. 